Integrity's Worth Surpasses Wealth and Perversion

Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.—Proverbs 28:6

The poor man who walks in integrity possesses the practical wisdom celebrated throughout Proverbs. The rich man perverse in his ways lacks this wisdom entirely. The decisive difference lies in true religious principle.

First, consider how true religion influences the duties of life. Useful knowledge must equip a man for immortality. When a man is imbued with the fear of Yahweh, he carries a principle into every intercourse of life, exerting influence over each portion of his conduct. Religious knowledge is not separate from practical wisdom—it animates and governs all righteous action.

Second, observe how true religion sustains us through life's trials. The poor cottager discovers in the promises of Scripture a mighty counterpoise to all troubles that oppress him. Christianity does not diminish labor, prevent sorrow, or forestall death. Yet it imparts strength, cheer, and hope. Religion possesses such power to soften what is rugged, to enlighten what is dark, to sustain under the heaviest pressure, and to encourage in the most perplexed circumstances, that nothing can supply its place. Its possession more than compensates every other want. The poorest believer walking in uprightness exceeds the richest man whose ways are perverted.